Steering mechanism.



PATENTBD MAR. 19, 1907.

ILPORD.

STEERING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1905.

HENRY FORD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

STEERING IVIECHANISNI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Application filed June 21,1905. Serial No. 266,254.

To all whom tm/ay concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY FORD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles, such as automobiles and similar conveyances; 4audits object is to provide means whereby but a small amount of power is required to hold or turn the hand-wheel and to so construct and arrange said means as to permit'the inclosing of the same in a tight casing which is located in a very accessible position and which may be quickly taken apart for cleaning or repair without the necessity of detacning the steering-post ,or other partsor connections.

T o this end the invention consists in loosely mounting the steering-wheel upon the upper end ofthe steering-shaft and interposing between it and said shaft suitable gearing for transmitting a slow motion to the shaft from the wheel, a suitable tight casing being provided upon the upper end of the steering-post for the gearing; and the invention further consists in the particularconstruction and arrangement of the casing and parts and in providing certain other new and useful features, all as hereinafter Inore fullyI described, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in wluch- Figure 1 isa side elevation, partly in section, of a device embodying the invention; and Fig. 2, a section of the same on the line mx.

As shown in the drawings, 1 is a solid shaft forming the steering-shaft, and upon the lower end of said shaft is-sccured an arm 2, to the outer end of which a connecting-rod 3' is attached at one'end by a suitable balland-socket joint lLl, the opposite end of said rod being connected in any of the usual and well-known ways to' the ordinary steeringknuckles. In the upper end of said steeringshaft is formed a socket 5 to receive the reduced lower end 6 of the stub-shaft 7, and on the upper end of said stub-shaft is secured the hub 8 of the steering-wheel 9 by' a key 10.

i A tube secured in any suitable manner (not shown) at its lower end to the floor of the vehicle-body forms the stationary, steeringthereon.

post 11, and secured to the upper endv of said ythe post, which is reduced at its lower end to fit into the post and to form a shoulder 14 to engage the end thereof, a ring 15 being secured over the joint to strengthen the same. Keyed or otherwise secured upon the upper end of the steering-shaft is a bearing member .16, vthetubular or hub portion 17 of which iits loosely within the tubular portion 13 of t e casing to turn freely with the shaft therei and at the upper end of said member are formed outwardly-extending arms provided with openings forming bearings 18 to receive the shafts 19, upon' which are secured the pinions 20,*three in` number and spaced at equal distances apart around the stub-shaft 7, which is formed with gearteeth 21 to engage said pinions.

The casing 12 is formed with internal gearteeth. 22 to engage the pinions at their Outer sides and is externally screw-threaded at its upper edge to engage an internally-screwthreadedcap 23, which is formed with a bearing 24 for the stub-shaft to engage said shaft above its gear-teeth and below the lower end of the hub of the hand-wheel, which rests A bushing 25 is provided for the bearing 24, and a flange 26 on said bushing extends outward from the lower end between the inner end of the bearing and the upper sides of the pinions, so asto hold said pinions down upon their bearings 18. A screw V27' extends downward through the cap into the edge of the casing to prevent said ca from unscrewing, and a finishing-nut 28 Is provided on the upper end of the stub-shaft 7 to assist in securing the hand-wheel thereon and to form a finish,

When the handwheel is turned,- said wheel being secured to the stub-shaft, mo-

' tion is transmitted by kthe gear-teeth 21 to vhand-wheel, owing -to difference between the diameter lof the internal gear and that of the intermediate gears or pinions. `Much less power' is` therefore'required to hold orv to lCO turn the hand-wheel than would be required if said wheel was secured directly to the steering-shaft.

The casing being tight excludes all dust and may be filled with lubricant to prevent wear and friction of the gears and'at the same time lubricate all of the steering-shaft bearings, thus preventing all lost motion due to wear and giving a tree-turning wheel. Said casing also forms a neat finish or hub in the axis of the hand-wheel, where it is protected and out of the way. Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim :is-

Ll. The combination with a tubular steering-post formed with an enlargement at its upper end and a steering-shaft within said post, of a hand-wheel mounted upon the upper end of said enlargement and 'free to turn thereon, and means within said enlargementinterposed between said wheel and the upper en'd of said shaft for trainsmitting from the wheel to the shaft a different rate ot speed than that of the wheel.

2. The combination with a tubular steering-post and a steering-shaft within said post, of a hand-wheel on the upper end of said post, a stub-shaft in said wheel having 'a telescopic connection with the shaft, and gearing connecting said wheel and the upper end of the' shaft. y .3. The combination with a tubular steering-post and a steering-shaft within said post, of a casing on the upper end of said post, a steering-wheel supported by the casing and free to turn thereon, gears carried by the wheel and the casing, and pinions on the shaft engaging said gears to transmit motion from said wheel to the upper end of the steering-shaft.

4. The combination with a steering-shaft,. of a stub-shaft in axial alinement with said shaft and having a telescopic engagement therewith, ahand-wheel secured to the stubshait, a gear on the stub-shaft, a stationary internal gear surrounding said gear, and an intermediate gear carried by the steeringshaft interposed between the gear on the stub-shaft and the internal gear.

5. The combination with a stationary l steering-post and a steering-shaft Within said post,l ot a casing secured to the upper `end of the steering-post and provided with a bearing, a stub-shaft supported in said bearing in axialfalinement with the steering-shaft and free to turn therein, a laterally-extending ilange on the steering-shaft a hand-wheel tast on the outer end of said stub-shaft, and gearing within lthe casing for transmitting motion from said stub-shaft to the steeringshaft.

6. The combination of a steering-shaft having a socket in itsupper end and a laterally-extending iiange, a stub-shaft engaging in, a hand-wheel secured to the upper end of the stub-shaftfa gear on the stub-shaft, and gears in engaoementwith said gear to transmit motion t erefrom to the steering-shaft.

7. The combination with a stationary post and a steering-shaft within said post, of a casing secured to the upper end of said post and provided with internal gear-teeth, a stub-shaft supported in axial alinement with the steering-shaft and having a telescopic engagement therewith, a gear on said stubshaft within the casing, a hand-wheel on the outer end of said stub-shaft, a bearing member secured to the upper end of the steering-shaft, and intermediate ge ars mounted on said bearing member and engaging the gear on the stub-shaft and the internal gearteeth on the casing.

8. The combination with a stationary tubular post, of a steering-shaft within said post provided with a socket in. its upper end, a stub-shaft in axial alinement therewith engaging said socket and free to turn therein, a gear on said stub-shaft adjacent to the end of the steering-shaft, a hand-wheel secured to the upper end of the stub-shaft, a casing secured to the upper end of the post and provided-with internal Gear-teeth, a bearinginember secured to te upper end of the steering-shaf t. and provided a ith shafts forming bearings, gears having openings engaging saidbearings and in mesh with the gear on the stub-shaft and the internal gear-teeth'on the casing, and a cover detachably secured to the casing and provided with a-bearing for the stub-shaft.

9. The combination with la stationary tubular post, of a steering-shaft within said post provided with a socket in its upper end, a circular casing secured tothe upper end of the post and provided with an internal gear, a bearing member formed with a sleeve portion secured to the upper end of the steeringshaft, a laterally-extending flange o n said member provided with pins forming vertical bearings, gears on said pins in mesh with the IOO IIC

internal gear on the casing, a stub-shaft in i axial alinement with the shaft having a reduced iower end engaging the socket'in the steering-shaft, a gear on said stub-shaft. adjacent to the end of the steering-shaft, a

hand-wheel secured to the upperv ond of thestub-shaft and a cap screwed upon the casing and provided with -a bearing engaging the stub-shaft between. the gear thereon and the hub of the hand-wheel'.

in testimony whereof' l aihx my signature y in presence of two witnesses.

v HENRY FORD.

Nit-nesses: l

OTTO F. BARTHEL, JOSEPH A. NonLxE. 

